1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improved data processing system. More particularly, the present invention provides a method and system for uncluttering and reformatting a web page before presenting the web page to a user.
2. Description of Related Art
The Internet, also referred to as an “internetwork”, is a set of computer networks, possibly dissimilar, joined together by means of gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages from the sending network to the protocols used by the receiving network (with packets if necessary). When capitalized, the term “Internet” refers to the collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols.
The Internet has become a cultural fixture as a source of both information and entertainment. Many businesses are creating Internet sites as an integral part of their marketing efforts, informing consumers of the products or services offered by the business or providing other information seeking to engender brand loyalty. Many federal, state, and local government agencies are also employing Internet sites for informational purposes, particularly agencies which must interact with virtually all segments of society such as the Internal Revenue Service and secretaries of state. Providing informational guides and/or searchable databases of online public records may reduce operating costs. Further, the Internet is becoming increasingly popular as a medium for commercial transactions.
Currently, the most commonly employed method of transferring data over the Internet is to employ the World Wide Web environment, also called simply “the Web”. Other Internet resources exist for transferring information, such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Gopher, but have not achieved the popularity of the Web. In the Web environment, servers and clients effect data transaction using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a known protocol for handling the transfer of various data files (e.g., text, still graphic images, audio, motion video, etc.). The information in various data files is formatted for presentation to a user by a standard page description language, the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). In addition to basic presentation formatting, HTML allows developers to specify “links” to other Web resources identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). A URL is a special syntax identifier defining a communications path to specific information. Each logical block of information accessible to a client, called a “page” or a “Web page”, is identified by a URL. The URL provides a universal, consistent method for finding and accessing this information, not necessarily for the user, but mostly for the user's Web “browser”. A browser is a program capable of submitting a request for information identified by a uniform resource identifier (URI), such as, for example, a URL at the client machine. Retrieval of information on the Web is generally accomplished with an HTML-compatible browser. Examples of browsers include Netscape Navigator, which is available from Netscape Communications Corporation, and Internet Explorer, which is available from Microsoft Corporation.
Pages retrieved from a Web server often contain many links that may be of interest to a user. The amount of information and links available in response to a user query is often overwhelming. In addition to links related to the user query, other links of interest may be encountered that a user may want to visit. Presently, a user is unable to identify and manage links on a browser. Currently, a user must store links in a bookmarking mechanism although the links may not be valuable enough for this type of permanent storage. As a result, the user must go back and remove links from the set of bookmarks after visiting a page. This mechanism is time consuming and cumbersome.
However, HTML can be frustrating when controlling the appearance of a Web page. In response, for the appearance of Web pages, a complementary markup system called Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) were designed to make it easier to define a web page's appearance without affecting the web page's HTML structure. Style sheets work like templates, a style is defined for a particular HTML element and then this defined style is used over and over on any number of web pages. If there is a desire to change how an HTML element looks, the style is changed, the HTML element automatically changes wherever the HTML element appears. Style sheets allow web designers quickly create more consistent web pages and more consistent web sites.
Business needs dictate that an increasing amount of information and hyperlinks are presented on a single web page. This gives the information and hyperlinks high visibility. When a vast array of hyperlinks are packed into a small area on a single web page, it usually results in a cluttered arrangement. As a consequence of this clutter, users who may have some difficulty with sensory motor skills may have difficulty in accessing a particular hyperlink or accessing the desired information. As a result, some users may attempt to “point and click” to a blank space on the web page or may access the wrong hyperlink. Prior art solutions to these problems have provided users with navigation of the web page using a keyboard and using tab keys. However, this technique is time consuming and may require many key strokes. Other prior art solutions include installing magnifying software applications to magnify a portion of the web page the user wishes to concentrate on. This technique is deficient in that it is also time consuming and requires additional key strokes.
In addition, under Federal government standards, the Federal government will be in the forefront in ensuring access to electronic and information technology. These standards cover various means of disseminating information, including computers, software and electronic office equipment. The standards provide criteria that spell out what is required to make informational products accessible to people and in particular accessible to people with disabilities, including, but not limited to, those with vision, hearing and mobility impairments.
The new standards provide technical criteria specific to various types of technologies and performance based requirements, which focus on the functional capabilities of covered technologies. Specific criteria cover, for example, software applications, operating systems, web-based information, web-based applications, telecommunication functions, video or multi-media products, self contained closed products such as information kiosks and transactions machines and computers. Also covered is the compatibility with adaptive equipment users with disabilities use for information and communication access. However, the Federal government is not alone in taking action on this front. Private industry and research entities are demonstrating initiative in improving access for people with disabilities in the Digital Age.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus for indicating and managing web page information and hyperlinks during a search or session.